52 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



" so the echlasa of the horses of Ulad still remain " ! ; evidently the bard had 

 heard of a group of pillars on the ridge. The army, then, went southward 

 towards Cenn Febrat, and reached 'Oenach Clochair (now, as I hope to show, 

 Clogher), though, being winter, it was not the time for the " fair." 



The Tain Bo Cualnge'-' names " the three Eochaidhs from 'Aine," and 

 Bruchuech from Cenn Abrat, and the three Cairbres from Cliu." The late 

 "Battle of Ventry" 3 includes "the three Koehaids (if Aine" among the 

 divine Tuatha De Danaun. Fergus Maclloig fought seven battles round 

 'Aine.' The best-known legend, already mentioned, 5 tells how Oilioll Aulom, 

 tending his horses on the hill, on Samain eve, when the sidh mounds opened, 

 slew Eogabal' and violated 'Aine 1 who bit off his ear, whence the surname 

 Aulom, the earless. Her brother. Fori, avenged this by raising the quarrel 

 between < hlioH's son and stepson, Eogan and Lugaid macCon, which resulted 

 in the battles of Cenn Febrat and Magh Mucrama, A.n. ISO and 197." More 

 probable legend suggests the cause of the quarrel in the passing over of 

 Lugaid in favour of Eoghan in the succession u> the kingship of Minister." 



Legend of later period tells how Cairbre Muse sang at Knockainey before 

 King Fiacha Muillethan, late in the third century, and was given the land he 

 could see from it. i.e. from Loch Derg (Craglea and Thounfcinna, Hanking 

 the end of that lake, are visible from 'Aine) to Cenn Febrat. 10 This at least 

 implies that musical contests took place there in early times. In about 



a.d. :?.su the ] ibly historic aocoun I of King Conall Ivhluath," consolidating 



to- Father's conquests, names the ion (din) of 'Aine and that of Loch Gair 



1 A similar name, " Echlasc och Conculainn " (goad of C.'s horses), is in Agallainh, 

 p. 161. 



3 Ed. J. Dunn. p. 351. The section is probably an addendum to the old saga. 



I Ktmo Meyer, pp. 13 16. 

 ' Ossianic Soc, v.. I v. |>. jr..".. 



- pro, vol. wxiii, p. 179. 



I'i li.-Tga's Hostel (Rev. Celt., vol. xxii, p. 308). The sid-king condemns men 

 who wrought falsehood in the mounds to be slain by the Kiny ..f Tara. Was the " king" 

 a priest, like the "Hex" in Republican It • . m ■ ' Poi the king-priest, as personifying a 

 god, see Diet. Relig. and Ethics, vol. iii. p. 293 : cf. Tacitus, History, ii, c. 61. 



7 The Celts, like the Norse, showed little respect to their deities on occasion. Cormac 

 may hive been a monotheist, but he iraa aided by ilruids in preventing the gods from 

 ■li ghting in Ireland. I'uchullin l.r.ike the Lia Fail for not roaring under him, or, as 

 some say. his candidate for the kingship. (Echtra ('• ndla, Celtic Review, vol. v, p. IT ; 

 Book of Lcinster, f. 9. Tara Hill, Trans. R. I. Arid., vol. xviii, pp. 48, 147 ; Metr. 

 Dinda., voL viii, Pt i, pp. 21. 



- 16 Fianagecht (Todd Lectures, vol. .wi, pp. 89, 43) ; Silva Gad., vol. ii, p. 34, and 

 Rev. Celt-, vol. xiii, p. 438, for battle of Magh Mucrama. 



9 " Battle of Magh Leana " makes this clear. 



'" Heating's History, vol. ii (Ir. Texts Soc, pp. 100-101), however, says from Slighe 

 Dala to Cnoc 'Aine. 



" From Psalter of Cashol : cf. Heating's History. 



